User:Учхљёная/Dzongkha phonology

Attention: The following is transcluded and converted from a personal note by Elliott Wheeler, put on this wiki for a quick reference for the phonology of the Dzongkha language.

BTW, if anyone wants to repair the Wikipedia article on Dzongkha after the incident on the 9th, here’re its phonotactics, compiled from George Van Driem’s works.

Edit: Apparently someone already reverted it, so nevermind then.

Phonotactics

Syllable structure: (C²)V(F)(ɕ)
Where:

• C = any consonant excluding /k̚/
• C² = initial consonant cluster
• V = any vowel
• F = final consonant

Allowed initial clusters

• /pt͡ɕ-/ ('pc-, bj-)
• /pt͡ɕʰ-/ ('pch-, bj˚-)
• /nj-/ (ny-)

Allowed finals

• /-ŋ/ (-ng)
• /-n/ (-n)
• /-m/ (-m)
• /-k/ (-k)
• /-k̚/
• /-p/ (-p)
• /-ɕ/ (-sh)
• /-l/ (-l)
• /-r/ (-r)
• /-j/ (-i, -y)
• /-w/ (-u, -o)

Phonemic inventory

Consonants

Dzongkha consonant-phonemes

		Labial	Alveolar	Retroflex	Alveolo- palatal	Velar	Glottal
Nasal		m (m)	n (n)			ŋ (ng)
Plosive	lenis	p (p, b)	t (t, d)	ʈ (tr, dr)		k (k, g)	k̚
	aspirated	pʰ (ph, b˚)	tʰ (th, d˚)	ʈʰ (thr, dr˚)		kʰ (kh, g˚)
Affricate	lenis		t͡s (ts, dz)		t͡ɕ (c, j)
	aspirated		t͡sʰ (tsh)		t͡ɕʰ (ch, j˚)
Fricative	voiced		z (z)		ʑ (zh)
	voiceless		s (s, z˚)		ɕ (sh, zh˚)		h (h)
Lateral	voiced		l (l)
	voiceless		ɬ (lh)
Approximant		w (w)	r (hr, r)		j (y)

Vowels

Dzongkha vowel-phonemes

		Front		Back
		short	long	short	long
Hiğ	unrou.	i (i)	iː (î)
	round.		yː (ü)	u (u)	uː (û)
Mid	unrou.	e (e)	eː (ê)
	round.		øː (ö)	o (o)	oː (ô)
Low	unrou.		ɛː (ä)	ɑ (a)	ɑː (â)

Tones

Pitch-accent-style tones are as follows:

• /◌˥/ ('-) - /ɬ, h, t͡sʰ/ can only exist in it, true aspiration distinction
• /◌˩/ - /z, ʑ/ can only exist in it, unaspirated consonants excluding fricatives & finals become voiced

.